


Rogers Do Things the Hard Way

by paburke



Series: RogersVerse [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Castle, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-28
Updated: 2014-06-28
Packaged: 2018-02-06 14:07:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1860825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paburke/pseuds/paburke
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve Rogers isn’t as alone in the world as he thought and Tony Stark isn’t as helpful as he could be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rogers Do Things the Hard Way

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers: Just after the Captain America movie, after Iron Man II, before the Avengers movie and general knowledge of Castle.  
> Disclaimer: Not mine. I’ll put them back when I’m done.

~ca~im~castle~

 

Steve met her on Broadway. 

 

Natasha had been tasked with taking him to see a play.  Someone thought Steve had enough education to actually see what seventy years had wrought on America.  This particular play had representative scenes from several different decades.  Steve still caught himself thinking that the actors were representing a future and not the past, but he did enjoy it.  It was an interesting series of viewpoints.

 

After the play, Natasha led the way to the waiting car.  They got separated in the mass of people and Steve suddenly found him face-to-face with the lead actress.  She was older than she had appeared on stage, maybe seventy?  She blinked at him twice.  Her eyes turned to one of surety.  She looked warily at Natasha, seeing more than a pretty redhead.  She was smarter than she appeared.

 

She come to a decision, pulled a glittery gold chain out of a hidden pocket and stepped into Steve’s ‘personal space.’  The move was so unexpected from what he had been led to expect from modern people that Steve was frozen in shock.  It didn’t bother her.  She pressed the chain into Steve’s hand and whispered, “She never stopped loving you.”

 

And then she was gone.

 

“Steve?” Natasha called.

 

Steve turned toward his guide, shoving the gold jewelry deep into his pocket.  If that jewelry was what he thought it was –and it was Peggy’s, his advanced eyesight and touch assured him- then he wanted to keep this to himself.  He didn’t want SHIELD part of this.  The deception of that hospital bed and the radio playing the Dodgers game echoed in his head.  He didn’t want that vivacious, talented actress dragged into his gilded cage with him.

 

“There’re many people,” he told her.

 

She nodded.  “This way.  There’ll be fewer.”

 

He followed her because he knew that she reported to SHIELD.  He didn’t want her to get suspicious.  He didn’t know if she had any loyalty to him yet and this was not what he wanted to use to test it.

 

He had just met his sixty-nine-year old daughter.

 

~ca~im~castle~

 

His daughter’s name was Martha _Rogers_ a quick glance at his play program informed him.  He was ridiculously pleased to see that.  He knew that Peggy Carter would have changed her name and identity to hide Martha, but Martha must have changed it to his when she became an actress.  She knew who her father was and was willing to take his name.  It was smart, no one would ever expect someone hiding a connection to Steve Rogers to change their name so that it matched.

 

His daughter was smart.

 

His daughter was an actress.  Steve tried not to be scandalized.  In his day, actresses had loose morals and were… well, loose.  Today, acting could be a respected career choice.  Though looking at some of the magazines that were part of his education, he doubted it.  On the other hand, Steve was proud of the very long list of her accomplishments written in the play pamphlet.  She had performed in an impressive number of plays.  She had gotten far without him.  She didn’t need him.

 

But she had gone out of her way to reveal herself to Steve.

 

She had known that it was dangerous and had done it anyways.

 

His daughter was brave.

 

His daughter was old enough to be his mother.

 

That was creepy, but Steve still wanted to know about her, about her life and about Peggy’s life.  He wanted to know that Peggy had known happiness after him.

 

He had to be careful.  He would have to figure out how close an eye SHIELD had on him.  He would not lead them to Martha.

 

He would be careful.  He needed someone he could trust.

 

~ca~im~castle~

 

His first impression of Tony Stark was ‘not his father.’ 

 

Tony was unpredictable and untrustworthy.  He was a genius like his father, but he was a bit of a bully, used to running people over with the shear force of his personality.  Steve hadn’t even considered Tony as accomplice in his search for Martha until he overheard Natasha telling Fury that Tony was somewhere in the SHIELD complex but had managed to disable the sensors so they didn’t know _where_.

 

Anyone that could outwit SHIELD in their own complex could find everything about Martha and not reveal it.

 

But then Tony would know the secret and he seemed incapable of keeping any secret, especially the important ones.  The man had revealed his secret identity on national television.

 

Then he met Pepper Potts, Tony’s assistant, a strong woman in her own right.  She reminded him of Peggy, a smart woman who could stand equal with the men.  He trusted her.

 

He approached her at the first opportunity, when Tony was once again running amuck in the SHIELD system.  He used Tony as an effective distraction.

 

“I need a favor,” he whispered to her.  “And I have no way to repay.”

 

Ms. Potts raised her eyes, not to look at him but to check the location of her boss and every SHIELD agent in the room.  Her eyes dropped to her phone again.  “What do you need?”

 

“Information.  And I’d like to keep it private.”

 

“I’ll see what I can do,” she said.

 

The conversation had already been too long, but his manners demanded that he say, “Thank you,” before moving away.

 

He had made his move.  Now he had to wait for the fall-out.

 

~ca~im~castle~

 

A week later, Ms. Potts appeared at the SHIELD instillation and browbeat Agent Coulson into letting Steve leave for a dinner appointment with Tony.  Steve watched with amusement and glee as she got her way.  She demanded that Steve change into something _not military_.  Steve, of course, hurried to obey.  He put on the dress suit that Natasha had hung in his closet and hurried to meet the woman.

 

She raised a perfect eyebrow at Steve.  “This is not formal, Mr. Rogers.”

 

“The jeans are stiff,” he confessed.  Something about her demanded honesty.  The pants were uncomfortable for a number of reasons.  He never wore them.  They didn’t seem appropriate for base life, but he was constantly surprised with the apparel of his co-workers, Natasha among them.

 

Her lips twitched and she sent a glare Coulson’s way, but she spoke only to Steve.  “Go get them.  We’ll take care of that for you.”

 

“Yes, ma’am.”  He returned to his room and gathered up all of the jeans.  He stuffed them into a convenient bag and returned to Ms. Potts’ side.  She nodded once to Coulson and then she turned.  Steve actually had to jog a step or two to catch up to her long-legged stride.  (How did she walk in those heels?)

 

Ms. Potts strode out of the complex and it was only near the end that Steve noticed that she did have an escort; she just acted like he wasn’t.  Steve admired it because it seemed like he was always following someone in this strange, new world.  She was perfectly polite but made it painfully clear that the escort was unnecessary.

 

Natasha met them just before the final door.  She handed Steve the slim computer that was really a telephone.  “Tony has boundary issues.  If he makes you uncomfortable, call.”

 

Steve blinked.  “I can defend myself,” he reminded her.

 

Natasha looked at Ms. Potts.  “You’ll be there?” she asked.

 

Ms. Potts smiled.  “The whole time, Tasha.  We’re giving Steve another view of life.”

 

Natasha smiled back and Steve realized that these two women knew and respected and liked each other.

 

“Happy will drive him back tomorrow,” Ms. Potts told Natasha.

 

“Steve, have fun,” Natasha told him.  “But make sure it’s your kind of fun and not Tony’s.”

 

Steve nodded, suddenly feeling like a child being handed over to a nanny for a weekend.

 

“This way,” Ms. Potts said and Steve hurried to follow.  She led the way to a shiny, streamline silver car and a man jumped out of the driver’s seat to open the back door for them.  “Happy will take your bag,” she said as she slid inside.

 

So Steve handed over his bag of pants and offered the muscle-bound man his hand.  “Steve Rogers,” he introduced himself.

 

The man looked surprised but not because he was Captain America.  He grinned back at Steve and shook his hand.  “Harold Hogan.  Just call me Happy.”

 

“Nice to meet you.”

 

“You too.”  He nodded to the car and Steve took the hint to get in.  Though it was a small car, Steve was impressed with the legroom in the backseat.  He had endured one ride in the back of a similar vehicle and that had been cramped. 

 

Happy closed the door, put the bag in the boot and slid into the driver’s seat.  He pulled out of the parking lot and through the checkpoints and soon they were cruising down a main road. 

 

Steve waited ten minutes after the last checkpoint to ask, “Is this about…” Ms. Potts’ head indicated a quick negative, and Steve changed his intended question to, “Mr. Stark’s continued involvement with the Avengers?”

 

Ms. Potts smiled a bit at his save but said calmly, “I am not authorized to discuss that aspect of Mr. Stark’s business.”

 

Her attitude and body language conveyed a completely different message than her curt words and her tone.  Steve took that to mean that it wasn’t safe for the conversation he was desperately wanting.  Ms. Potts returned her attention to her phone and Steve felt at loose ends.

 

Happy saw his expression through the rearview mirror and took pity on him.  He started a conversation about cars and boxing and people in general.  It was completely non-threatening and relaxing, reminding Steve that as much as the world had changed people would still be people.  Happy had fun stories about his years as head of Tony Stark’s security and he listened well when Steve told some matching war stories.  Like Ms. Potts, Happy was reliable and trustworthy.

 

If Happy and Ms. Potts were the examples of the people that Tony chose to surround himself with, there was hope for Howard’s son.

 

Happy pulled into the front of a _huge_ house and Steve took it all back: there was no hope for Howard’s son.  Steve could ignore him and let Ms. Potts take care of his secrets.  It wasn’t like Tony would lower himself to doing a favor for Steve that Steve had no hope in hell to repay.

 

That idea was squashed when Tony met them at the door with a gleeful grin and bright eyes said, “So how are we going to tweak Fury’s tail today?”

 

Steve was highly scandalized by his grubby jeans and white t-shirt with no arm sleeves.  He wasn’t pleased by how much enjoyment Tony received from a possibility of circumventing authority and the fact that he said it where Fury and the rest of SHIELD could hear it according to Ms. Potts.  Steve knew it needed to be done, but it wasn’t something that he enjoyed.

 

“This way, Mr. Rogers,” Ms. Potts encouraged.

 

Steve followed Ms. Potts.

 

“JARVIS,” she called as soon as she walked into the door, “what bugs do they have on Mr. Rogers?”

 

A mechanic voice with a British accent replied, “His jacket, his shoes and his bag.”

 

“Just leave everything here, sir,” Happy told him.  “We’ll take care of it.”

 

Steve toed off his shoes and slid his jacket off his arms.  Happy had never returned his bag, so he had nothing else.  Ms. Potts took his jacket.

 

Steve waited for her, but she waved him to her boss.  “Tony can do what you need.”

 

Steve looked from the impatient Stark to the reliable Ms. Potts.  “He understands that this will need discretion and he has agreed to keeping the secret.”

 

Steve finally addressed Tony.  “I cannot repay this favor.”

 

Tony frowned.  “Pepper, get a hold his contract.  We’re going to rewrite it.”

 

“Yes, Tony.”  Ms. Potts seemed pleased with the order, which was the only reason that Steve didn’t argue.

 

“This way,” Tony said.  Steve followed the man that would soon be his teammate.  It was hard to imagine.  Tony led the way through the immaculate house and down stairs to glass doors.  Two lines of new and old cars were showcased on the far wall.  There were tools left everywhere.

 

The mess did not embarrass Tony.  “I don’t let anyone come down here,” he explained.  “JARVIS, turn off all recording equipment.”

 

“Yes sir,” the robot said.

 

“So why did you approach Pepper for help?” Tony asked.

 

“I think I have a daughter.”

 

Tony blinked but grinned at the idea.  “Slipped one passed the goalie?”

 

Steve let his confusion show on his face.

 

“You know if this daughter is from before she’d be…”

 

“Almost seventy,” Steve finished.  “I know.  I want to know about her.”

 

“Do you have a name?”

 

“Martha Rogers.”

 

Tony shook his head.  “Steve, people pretend to be related to strangers for all sorts of reasons and…”

 

“She had Peggy’s mother’s bracelet,” Steve interrupted.  “Peggy didn’t even wear it, but it was always in her pocket for good luck.  I’m probably the only person who had ever seen it near Peggy for five years.  I think that Peggy changed her name to hide Martha and then Martha changed it back when she became an actress.”

 

“Sneaky,” Tony said approvingly.  He sat before a bank of computers and began typing.  Steve watched as Tony took the scant amounts of information and began compiling data.  An older woman’s picture appeared on one screen.  It took Steve a moment to see the beautiful woman he loved through the wrinkles.  He touched the screen in remembrance.  Tony said, “That’s Martha Rogers’ birth mother.  No father listed on the birth certificate.”

 

“Peggy,” Steve whispered.

 

“She changed her name to Margret Baker.  She never married.  She didn’t have any more kids.  She died when Martha was nineteen.”

 

Steve had mixed feelings about those revelations.  “I want to know everything.”

 

Tony tapped his computer a few times and files appeared on the screens.  “She had one son, who is a pretty popular writer, who had one daughter who is in high school, excellent grades.”

 

Steve read aloud, “Richard Castle?”

 

“Your grandson.  He changed his name when he became an author,” Tony explained.  “A pen name.  He’s pretty good.  I have read some of his stuff during the rare times when I can’t work, when I’m stuck somewhere without a computer.  Your great-granddaughter’s name is Alexis.”  Tony pointed at his workbench.  “I’m going to work.  You read as much as you want.  Tap on the screen when you’re done with a file and it’ll be minimized.  Use this to scroll down to read full documents.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Tony waved at him.  “This is ridiculously easy and it’ll drive Fury and Coulson nuts since I could be doing anything with you.  That’s a reward.”  Tony vacated his chair and Steve sat down and devoured every scrap of information on his family. 

 

“This is safe for them?” he checked.  “Me reading this?”

 

Tony nodded.  “I took out every bug and Trojan Natasha put into my system.  I have had JARVIS randomly accessing people all over the globe.  I’ve made the information coming into this IP site too much to narrow down.  And seeing who your family is, I’ve got to guess that the therapy did not transmit through your genomes.  Chances are good that Fury would leave them alone even if he knew.  Your grandson knows the power he holds and isn’t afraid to use it.  He could make life difficult for Fury at the touch of his phone.  Fury would eventually win a PR fight, but Castle could greatly damage SHIELD’s reputation.”

 

Steve didn’t know whether to be relieved or horrified at the idea.  He decided that he needed more information before making a decision.  He focused on the information and barely heard Tony clanking around.  Steve read for hours.  He almost remembered sandwiches appearing at his elbow and eating those, but now he had finished all the information on the screens.  He stood and stretched.  He cocked his head to listen to the music coming from Tony’s side of the lab.  Steve had no idea how Tony worked with he noise, but then again, Steve had totally ignored it as well.

 

Tony focused on his work to the exclusion of all else.  Steve stood over his shoulder for ten minutes before he was noticed.  Tony blinked at him.  “Need more reading material?”

 

Steve considered it.

 

“Or would you like to start on one of Richard Castle’s novels?”

 

What Steve had been reading had been cut-n-dried divorce settlements, society notices and bank statements.  He knew that his family had a hard time staying with a single significant other.  He knew that his grandson was well off from his writing, but he didn’t _know_ his family. 

 

Steve must have taken too long to make a decision.

 

“Novel, it is,” Tony announced.  “Now, should we start with Derrick Storm or Nikki Heat?  Honestly, the Heat books are better written and he’s shadowing a real cop so he gets the details right.  He took artistic license on a lot of Storm stuff and I don’t think you need that kind of confusion on what can be done and what can’t.”

 

Steve nodded and Tony grabbed a nearby hand-held computer and tapped on the screen.  “Here.  Heat Wave.  Enjoy.”

 

“Where’s the book?” Steve asked.

 

“e-Book,” Tony answered.  He grabbed back the computer and swiped his finger over it.  “That’s how you turn pages.”  He looked at Steve’s face and realized that he was being messed with.  Steve had seen and used a number of similar computers at SHIELD.  Tony threw the computer at Steve.  Steve fumbled but caught it.   It had to be expensive even if Tony had them littered about like… litter. Tony called him a name Steve hadn’t heard since his first set of military training decades ago, but Tony didn’t seem to intend to be insulting.  He seemed almost fond of Steve.

 

Steve pointed at the remains of Tony’s sandwich.  “Are you going to eat that?”

 

Tony blinked at the sandwich like he hadn’t noticed its appearance, like he hadn’t known that he had taken four bites out of it.  He poked at it.  “Stale.  JARVIS, have the kitchen deliver some more.”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

Steve grabbed the sandwich.  No reason for it to go to waste.  “Belay that,” he told the invisible computer.  “I can eat this.”

 

Tony grabbed at it, but was much too slow.  “But why?  When there are so much other things to enjoy?”

 

Steve swallowed his bite and shrugged.  “This is still good.”

 

Tony glared.  “Go away and let me work in peace.  It’s like having the younger brother that I never wanted,” the genius grumbled.

 

Steve wandered away and found a comfortable chair.  Tony did have the most comfortable chairs.  Steve sat and read until Ms. Potts escorted him to dinner.  She managed to pry Tony away from his work long enough to eat.  Ms. Potts directed the conversation to light and comfortable topics.  After dinner, Tony led the way to his living room with a huge flat screen TV.  He told the TV to play a Dodgers game and it did.  Tony ignored the game and continued working.  Steve split his attention between the game and his grandson’s book.  Richard was a talented author.

 

Steve wondered what he was like in real life.  He yearned to know more of Alexis, since there was so little of her on-line. 

 

He finished the book that night and slept in a spare room.  Tony was still working when he went to bed and the genius was no where to be seen as Steve ate breakfast, exercised and accepted the jeans that Ms. Potts returned to him.  The jeans were now soft and comfortable.  She also supplied him with a comfortable, collared t-shirt and sweater.  They seemed proper and informal all at the same time.  They were too big to be Tony’s.  In fact, they fit him perfectly.

 

He came out of his room wearing the clothes.  Ms. Potts was waiting.  She eyed him up and down and then smiled.  “That works?”

 

“Yes, ma’am.  How much do I owe you?”  He could probably get some money from Coulson or Natasha. 

 

“Don’t worry about it,” she assured him.  “I took the money from Tony’s slush fund.  He’ll never miss it.  Happy is ready to return you to SHIELD whenever you are ready.”

 

“I’m ready now.”

 

Ms. Potts smiled.  “We’re not kicking you out Mr. Rogers.  There’s a lot of time to today.  Tony won’t be up for hours.”

 

Steve hunched his shoulders.  “It’s time for me to go.  I need time and quiet to think now, Ms. Potts.”

 

She smiled again.  “After all this, I think it’s time you start calling me Pepper.”

 

Steve flushed; he couldn’t help it.  “Thank you, ma’am.  And you can call me Steve.”

 

She held out her hand and Steve grasped it warmly as she continued talking.  “Delighted to know you.  Don’t hesitate call if you need off the base at any time.  I programmed Happy’s and my phone numbers into your phone.  Also, I packed a computer pad for your use and it has every best selling novel for the last twenty or so years loaded on it.  It’ll give you something to do in your spare time.” That included all of his grandson’s writings.

 

“Thank you… Pepper.”

 

“It was a pleasure.”

 

“Are you ready, sir?”  Happy stood at the end of the hall with the bag Steve had brought with him and another one in hand.

 

“Yes, yes I am.”

 

“This way, sir.”

 

Steve jogged to catch up with Happy.  “I can carry my own pack, Happy.”

 

“It’s my job, Mr. Rogers.”

 

“Steve,” he corrected.

 

Happy grinned.  “If you say so, Mr. Rogers.”

 

Steve knew when it was time to surrender.  “What’s in the other bag?”

 

Happy gave him the most innocent of looks.  “You really didn’t think that Pepper only bought you one shirt and one sweater?  She decided that you needed a wardrobe.  So she bought you a wardrobe and had it delivered this morning.”

 

“How much did she spend on me?” Steve asked horrified.  “And how did she know what size to buy me?”

 

“I don’t ask,” Happy told him.

 

Steve looked behind him and Pepper was long gone.  Happy ushered him into the same car as before and drove him back to SHIELD.  The bodyguard seemed to gauge Steve’s mood correctly and was quiet.  Steve read a different one of his grandson’s novel, the second Nikki Heat book, and stared out the window at the passing scenery.

 

What was Steve going to do about his family?

 

~ca~im~castle~

 

Steve spent weeks running training exercises, reading the books on the computer pad (concentrating on his grandson’s) and thinking about the family he had out there.  Fury and the rest of SHIELD ignored the night he spent at Tony’s, as if it never happened.  When Steve brought up the subject to Natasha, she laughed.  “Your picture didn’t end up in any publications and the cops weren’t called to Stark’s place.  You’re more relaxed.  That’s a win.”

 

“Are cops often called to Tony’s house,” Steve asked curiously.  “He seemed completely wrapped up in his work.”

 

Natasha eyed Steve but refrained from asking the obvious question.  “Yes.  When Tony isn’t working, he’s partying.  He parties hard.”

 

Steve nodded, but wasn’t sure he understood what she was saying.  How could anyone party hard enough to warrant cops?

 

Tony sent Steve a text on his phone, inviting him to another dinner.  Steve assumed that Tony had more information on his family and agreed.  Steve examined his schedule and suggested a date and time to Tony.

 

Tony texted ‘rgr’ and Steve had had to ask a soldier to get the translation of ‘roger.’  Even when Tony was using the correct terminology, he was using the incorrect terminology.

 

~ca~im~castle~

 

Richard Castle remembered making reservations for dinner with his mother and daughter.  Richard remembered walking from the car to the restaurant with a favorite girl on each arm.  He remembered someone calling his name and all three turning to look.

 

He remembered… nothing more.

 

Richard rubbed his cheek against fabric.  It smelled expensive and new.  What was it?  Did he have anything like it in his apartment?

 

“Mr. Castle?” a voice asked.  It was the same voice that had called him before.

 

Richard stirred.  He had his arms wrapped around Alexis and his mother.  They were the backseat of a car, a very expensive car.  Richard had money but buying a car like this would pauper him. 

 

A man was very patently waiting by the open door.

 

“Where are they?  Where are they?” a semi-familiar voice called out.  “I want them inside and all the yelling done before Steve gets here.”

 

Richard blinked and Tony _frickin_ Stark poked his head into the open doorway.  His eyes met Richard’s and he grinned.  “Hurry up.  Ally-oop.  Everybody out.  Come on.  Come on.”

 

Richard did tumble out of the car but then he charged Stark.  “Did you have us _kidnapped_?”

 

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Stark countered.   “I just changed your reservations.  You can’t have a family dinner if not all of your family’s there.”

 

“You kidnapped us!”

 

“I can explain.”

 

Richard shoved Alexis behind him for the scant protection he could offer.  “Why did you kidnap my family?”

 

“If you gave me a minute, I’d explain!” Stark shouted back.

 

Another car pulled into the driveway and a beautiful woman climbed out of the driver’s seat and a really tall, buff man climbed out of the passenger’s seat.  “Tony,” the woman asked, “what did you do?”

 

Stark opened his arms expressively, “I organized a family reunion.”

 

The woman looked horrified.  “Tell me you did not have Happy use that pulse gun that you’ve been experimenting with.  Happy?”

 

Their chauffer looked embarrassed.  “It worked really well.  They slept the whole way here.”

 

Richard didn’t care about the consequences, he closed the last two stepped to Tony _frickin_ Stark and slugged him.

 

The big buff guy was suddenly there pulling Richard away from Stark.  Happy was standing in front of Stark, must be a bodyguard.

 

Buff Guy addressed Richard’s mother.  “Everyone warned me that Tony Stark had boundary issues, now I know what they were talking about.”

 

“Well, since we are here, we might as well enjoy ourselves,” Martha said magnanimously.

 

“Grandma?” Alexis questioned.  Magnanimous was not normally part of Marta’s personality.

 

“You’ve heard about Captain America?” Martha asked in response.

 

“Yes, of course.”  Her eyes drifted to Buff Guy and Richard realized at the same time that Buff Guy _was_ Captain America, the guy who became a super soldier during WWII and then got ‘frozen in carbonite’ for seventy years.  There had been very measured PR concerning his return to the modern world.  Captain America was looking embarrassed and proud and was grinning at Martha like she was wonderful beyond all imagining.  How the heck did Martha know Captain America?

 

Martha offered her hand to Captain America and he took it a pressed a quick, affectionate kiss to her knuckles.  “Captain America, I’d like to present my family, Richard Castle and his daughter, Alexis.”  Martha didn’t pause as she continued the introductions.  “Kids, this is my father Steve Rogers.”

 

Richard’s jaw dropped and looking at his daughter to figure out if this was real, he saw that her mouth was just as open as his.  “Wow,” Richard breathed.

 

“Double wow,”’ Alexis echoed.

 

“Wow,” Richard said again.  “I’m speechless.  Mother, you never even hinted.  I didn’t know you could keep a secret like that.”

 

Martha rolled her eyes.  “It’s a very long story.”

 

Richard’s eyes darted from his mother to his _grandfather_ and back again.  “I want to hear every word.”

 

A stranger’s voice cleared their throat.  All turned to see Steve’s driver, the woman who had chided Tony, standing there.  “We have a private room and dinner waiting inside for you.  Perhaps, this would be an appropriate moment move inside?”

 

Steve looked from face to face and then suddenly looked up.  “Could they…?”

 

“They can’t hear us,” the woman said, “but if any of them looked up, they could be identified.”

 

Richard resisted the urge to tip his head to the sky –to someone’s satellite- and he kept a hand on Alexis’s head, as she was tempted.

 

Steve smiled hopefully at Richard’s family –at _Captain America’s same family_ \- “Would you like to come in and have dinner with me?”

 

Martha wrapped a hand around Steve’s muscular elbow.  “We’d be delighted.  Lead the way.  Come along, kids.”

 

So Richard and Alexis followed Martha and _Captain America_ into Tony Stark’s house.  Richard and his daughter paused at the doorway for a silent victory dance and whispered acknowledgements of the coolness of their lives.

 

They hurried to catch up to the rest of their family and to their host.  “Where is Stark, anyway?” Richard asked the woman.

 

“Tony is busy,” she promised.  “He will be staying out of the way for the evening.”

 

Steve looked over his shoulder at Richard.  “If you want to hit him again, I’ll hold him for you.”

 

Richard grinned at him.  “Thanks but I’m pretty sure I can come up with an appropriate revenge.”  Alexis elbowed him.  “But you can help with that,” Richard assured him.

 

Steve grinned in return.  “I’m looking forward to it.”

 

~ca~im~castle~


End file.
